#festigious international film festival

[carolynbridgetkennedy]

My micro short comedy film “Shrew” won Best Microfilm at Festigious International Film Festival! 🎥💕 Congratulations to the team, including my talented co-star @mileslogancooper and my co-producer/co-writer @therichardmcrae 🤗 @festigious #actor #actress #actorslife #actorlife #filmmaker #writer #producer #losangeles #hollywood #shortfilm #winner #bestmicrofilm #filmfestival #womeninfilm #comedy #shrew #womenincomedy (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoYxUSKrLNg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[andymagro]

"If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney @disneystudios Thank you so much @festigious #LosAngeles #FilmFestival for this awesome #award 😍🙏🥰 It’s just an unbelievable moment for me! This year was awesome with many bookings for a German tv-series, an international tv commercial, some print jobs and various independent films and receiving this incredible recognition a few days before my birthday is just a wonderful feeling! Thanks a bunch to everyone who were involved in this indie film. Thanks also to the whole festival team and jury! Thanks to the cast and crew, my dear colleagues, the press and journalists, my agencies and management, my family and of course a big thank you to all of you who believe in me and support me! 🙏❤️😘 @siewertundknittel @agenziapatriziadesantis @nardesmedia_marco_nardi @gilchristmgmt #indie #indiefilm #actor #hollywood #press #journalist #interview #internationalcast #tv #commercial #print #film #netflix #hbo #original #uk #australia #nz #usa #la #lalaland #canada (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl6sEtqLGqE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[blackcatfilmprod]

Attack of the Cat People​ Trailer just got nominated for Honorable Mention Trailer here in Festigious International Film Festival. Awesome work Black Cat Film Productions. https://www.festigious.com/october-2019

[yourgympartner]

TODAY, 12PM EST!

[michael-marwitz-official]

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Vegas Movie Awards BEST ACTOR Florence Film Awards BEST ACTOR Global Film Festival Awards Los Angeles BEST ACTOR Top Shorts Film Festival BEST ACTOR Imagine Rain Independent Film Festival BEST ACTOR New York Film Awards BEST ACTOR IN AN INDIE FILM Filmcon Awards BEST ACTOR Actors Awards BEST ACTOR IN A CRIME FIM Best Actor Award New York BEST ACTOR Platinum Award Top Shorts BEST ACTOR London Shorts BEST ACTOR Hollywood Gold Awards SILVER AWARD BEST ACTOR New York International Film Awards BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Vegas Movie Awards BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Oniros Film Awards. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Los Angeles Film Awards BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Best Actor Award BEST ACTOR GOLD AWARD Festigious International Film Festival BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Rome Prisma Film Awards BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Bridge Fest ANNUAL BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR New York International Film Awards BEST ENSEMBLE Actors Awards BEST ENSEMBLE Top Shorts BEST ENSEMBLE HONARABLE MENTION #actor #actorslife🎬 #bestactor #bestsupportingactor #filmfestival @agenturkerstinneuhaus (hier: USA) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRZItaRIEKH/?utm_medium=tumblr

[aldanuzio]

Boas notícias vindo de longe! Ganhei melhor ator com Um Toque de Aurora novamente 😍. O filme também levou duas menções honrosas e o prêmio de Melhor Curta de Ficção no Festigious International Film Festival (October, 2019) @thailaayala @adityapatwardhan (em Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4ieLq8AxJO/?igshid=3csnrgog7ovb

[jackventuro]

UPDATE! “The Repossession” has a composer! Iran Garcia officially signs on to #therepossessionmovie @irangarciacomposer is a true master of his craft. We have been emailing and talking back and forth on what styles of music we hear based on the script and we are very excited to work together. Iran Garcia has established himself as a versatile composer in today's filmmaking world by fusing his classical training with his ongoing experiences with electronic and non traditional music landscapes. Now being a multi instrumentalist, Iran grew up in Florida, where he picked up the guitar and started building his repertoire by the age of six. While pursuing his Music degrees in Business and Education, he was simultaneously producing and recording himself alongside local music talents in hopes of building an professional knowledge of the recording and creative arts. His journey has led him to Los Angeles, California, where he hopes to continue fulfilling a life full of creativity and music, all while meeting some amazing filmmakers with incredible stories to tell! He has won awards in "Best Film Soundtrack" in 2017 at the California International Film Festival Scoring Competition, in 2018 at the Festigious Film Festival, and in 2019 at the Los Angeles International Film Festival. #venturoproductions #composer https://www.instagram.com/p/BysmK4bBC_r/?igshid=m0ju3wxjun4r

[veecord]

“BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT / JANUARY 2019” … !  (New York City / Bangkok) … Another film festival / another Laurel Wreath, i.e., the “BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT / JANUARY 2019”, this “fifth” award from Los Angeles’ FESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL for VEE CORD / THE FILM aka “INTERESTING PEOPLE IN NEW YORK CITY” shown at   www.vimeo.com/chaw15/veecord  … with the Best of Fest Final Winner’s 2019 award announced year end and so it goes in and around town :) ________________________________ Credit:  Chaw Khanawutikarn  aka Chaw Khana / Film Director   @chaw15 Thank you Chaw my friend from Thailand including your illustrious team, Kingkan Siripiriyakul aka Meng @minimal.meng , Woei @woeiwoei and others ( as referenced in the credits of the film ) for this documentary.  I am also happy to see other film festivals showing interest and thrilled once again to see the professional recognition given you well deserve. As I’ve said all along, I’ll be seeing you in Cannes !! :) In the interim do STAY THE COURSE   :) __________________________________________ __ PS  If anyone cares to watch this Documentary,  kindly click on the above link in my bio profile or insert the link into any search engine. Thank you once again  __________________ https://www.instagram.com/p/Btnz0evn3SG/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=pvhjj5nic9w9

[elotroalberto]

AIFF Announces 2020 Selection Committee

CELEBRATING A 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

 AIFF is pleased to welcome three new judges that will join the Selection Committee for 2020. They are Belal Taheri of Iran, Sandip Pratihar of India, and Shahrzad Dadgar of Iran/Jacksonville, FL. With submissions growing beyond 2,000 films a year, there was a need to increase the Selection Committee that now totals sixteen members. We welcome the expertise of these judges and appreciate the local as well as international representation we have on the Committee. It is indeed a daunting task to view the numerous films and select those that will comprise the Film Festival. These judges are tasked with keeping the mission of the Festival at the fore of their decision-making process as well as evaluating for content and technical achievements. We thank those judges that have been with us since the inception of the Festival’s organization in 2010, to those that have joined along the way, and we look forward to working with new members of the team. Now meet the new judges!

Shahrzad Dadgar is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer from Hamedan, Iran. Dadgar earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in urban engineering from Azad University in Hamedan, Iran before pursuing a film career. As an artist, Shahrzad's work focuses on promoting understanding of women's empowerment, and women who have suffered from sexual issues. Shahrzad has received the coveted Golden Gazzale from the Persian Int’l Film Festival in Australia, the Best Inspirational Women in Film award from the Festigious Film Festival in Los Angeles, and Best Script award from the Cervaignano Film Festival in Italy. Dadgar is now attending Jacksonville University’s College Of Fine Arts in Florida on a talent scholarship grant and continues to make independent films.

Sandip Pratihar is an independent filmmaker from the small village of Tajpur in India. He enjoys working on surreal subjects, dramas, and documentaries. Sandip is also a screenplay writer, having written eight feature film scripts. He believes that film is a medium where people can enjoy time together, where they can discover both their joys and sorrows. His continuing endeavor is to make the kind of films where the lost and unwelcome voices of our world will reach the people.

Belal Taheri is an Iranian independent filmmaker and content distributor professional at Cineport media, an online submission platform that assists filmmakers and festivals. Belal has been a jury member for more than 56 international film festivals, Edinburgh, Oxaca, Jaipur, Euro, Ethnografilm, Mediterranean, and the Cannes Film Festivals to name a few. He is also the founder and director of the Cineport International Film Festival. 

Judges that will continue with us this year are:

Akasa Stephe Angba is an African filmmaker, producer, director, and editor from Nigeria, with over 15 years of experience as an independent film practitioner, film teacher and consultant. He studied film at the National Film Institute Jos, where he earned a professional diploma before moving ahead to earn a Bachelor’s Degree, all in film production. He was technical director for the Africa Movie Academy (the parent body of AMA Awards) and has coordinated and lectured on film across the continent of Africa through the Film in a Box-training Program organized by the Africa Film Academy. These trainings have been held in South Africa, Malawi, and Nigeria amongst other countries. He has also worked with the Nigerian government through the Independent Electoral Commission to ensure a violent-free 2015 national election using audiovisual content. He has complete productions for renowned NGO’s like Action Aid and Save The Children International, producing documentaries/audiovisual campaigns against child malnutrition in northern Nigeria. Over the years, his work as an independent filmmaker includes documentaries, feature films, short films, television films and series, add campaigns and music videos. He has worked on projects like ‘GRA Women’, a popular television series in Nigeria produced by PMO Global, ‘DAISY’, a feature film starring Nigerian and Ghanaian leading actors, and music videos like ‘FOR YOU’ by the famous gospel musician Dorcas Bentu. Akasa is a man passionate about culture and art, most importantly the business of it all.

Lawrence Benedict is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, has studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York, and is a veteran of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada. He has performed on stage in over 42 full Equity productions, and in TV and film in both United States and Canada. In Los Angeles, he founded “Angus Lake Productions” where he learned most behind-the-camera disciplines while producing promotional video for studios such as Universal and directors such as Steven Spielberg. He has edited Disney trailers and a full-length feature he edited, "Forgiving the Franklins," became a Sundance Selection. Lawrence has taught at Banff School of Fine Arts, UCLA Extension and Screen Actors Guild. He is author of “The Video Demo Tape” – published by Focal Press, and “How to Shoot Better Camcorder Videos; Help from the Hollywood Pros.” Lawrence currently performs improv with “The Playground.”

Kate Bernhardt is an accomplished, innovative and creative marketing and communications professional with deep experience in content creation and management, marketing innovation, brand strategy, broadcast and Internet media, marketing campaigns, client and stakeholder management, event planning, team management and development, and translating industry best practices to build brands and drive business success.  A consensus-building leader, Kate has an energetic work style, strategic as well as tactical and a unique ability to successfully blend industry knowledge with management and content expertise. Kate is the Communications and Media Consultant for KB Media & Marketing and lives in Arlington, MA.

Alice Bouvrie brings over 20 years of experience in the film industry to her role as documentary Producer and Director. She holds a Master’s Degree in Film Production from Boston University, a Master’s Degree in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University, and is a graduate of the DGA Producers Training Program in New York. She is an active member of the Director’s Guild of America, and an active member and former board member of Women in Film & Video/New England.  In 2005, she was a Filmmaker-In-Residence at WGBH, Boston, and in 2011 won a Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship. Bouvrie worked as an Assistant Director on feature films, TV series and specials, commercials and industrials for seven years before producing documentaries as an independent in 1993, forming Mineral King Productions. Alice resides in Arlington, MA.

Barbara Costa is a freelance project manager and multimedia producer of predominantly science subjects for online courses, websites, public television documentaries, educational videos and museum programs, and exhibits. She has produced interactive computer-based exhibits for the Louisville (KY) Science Center and Science City in Kansas City, MO. For nine years, Costa worked in documentary production at the NOVA series (PBS). Barbara is currently overseeing development and marketing for Spy Pond Productions and lives in Arlington, MA.

Paul Dervis has been teaching drama in Canada at Algonquin College as well as the Theatre Conservatory Ottawa School of Speech & Drama for the past 15 years. Previously, he ran theatre companies in Boston, New York, and Montreal. He has directed over 150 stage productions, receiving two dozen awards for his work, directed six films, and written over two dozen plays.

Alice Markowitz of Arlington, MA is currently consulting in communications, visual storytelling, and social marketing for mission-driven companies and non-profit organizations. A three-time Emmy Award winner, Alice’s career began in broadcast journalism--producing, directing and writing PBS documentaries for national broadcast on multiple series including NOVA, Blackside's This Far by Faith, and Healing and the Mind with Bill Moyers. Alice earned a bachelor’s degree from Vassar and a Master’s in Education from Harvard before becoming a Henry Luce Foundation Scholar in Asia.

Nuno Sá Pessoa is from Lisbon, Portugal. He began his studies in cinema and television at Universidade Moderna, Lisboa and went on to graduate from the European Film College in Denmark. Nuno directed his first independent work with two feature-length documentaries following, in which he did both cinematography and editing. He has worked in California where he edited a total of three feature-length documentaries directed by Kenneth Payton. Having moved back to his native Portugal, Pessoa co-founded Skookum Films.

Phil Pritchard was born in Epsom, Surrey, England and graduated from Mountview Theatre School in London. He appeared in the title role 'A Kitten for Hitler' (2007) directed by the legendary British Film director Ken Russell and in 'The Scouting Book for Boys' (2009) directed by Tom Harper and ‘Woman in Black: Angel of Death’ starring Thomas Turgoose & Holiday Grainger. On stage, he appeared in the West End production of 'A Little Night Music' directed by Trevor Nunn at The Garrick Theatre and as Henry Higgins in 'My Fair Lady' at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. After UK national tours of 'Lark Rise to Candleford' and 'To Kill A Mocking Bird' (York Theatre Royal), he was cast in the International Tour of Beatles Biopic 'Backbeat' (2013) written by Ian Softley (Trap for Cinderella) and Stephen Jeffries (The Libertine, Diana) and directed by 5-time Tony Nominee David Leveaux. Produced by Karl Sydow and Paul Elliot the West End show toured to Toronto & Los Angeles. In the USA he appeared in the film 'Tattooed Love' (2015) with Edy Ganem (Devious Maids) Laura Flannery (American Horror Story), Marlon Moreno (El Capo). Pritchard serves on several film festival selection committees.

Bernice Schneider is an award-winning documentary film editor. She received her Master of Science in Visual Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab under the direction of Richard Leacock. Bernice has edited numerous films for PBS’s American Experience, Frontline, Nova Science Unit, American Masters, and Independent Lens. She edited the feature-length independent documentary film, Rebel, about the politics of national memory as viewed through the lens of the secret life of a Latina confederate soldier. Another feature, Angkor’s Children, focuses on a grassroots movement to reinvigorate the arts in post-genocide Cambodia. Angkor’s Children has screened nationally and internationally, including within Cambodia at the Bophana Film Center. She edited Alice Bouvrie’s film A Chance to Dress, winner of the Arlington International Film Festival’s Best Short 2015. She also completed A Perfect Crime: the Leopold and Loeb Story for American Experience in 2016. Most recently, she completed the editing of Laurel Chiten’s documentary, Just One Drop which premiered in London in 2017. Her films have screened at prestigious museums, both nationally and internationally. Bernice also worked in the field with national correspondent Charlene Hunter-Gault for PBS’s NewsHour in Kenya, South Africa, Haiti, and Somalia, where she edited stories on political and cultural change in the developing world. She has received honors and awards for her work including a Wallis Annenberg scholarship for women filmmakers, a CINE Golden Eagle, the Biographical Video Award, and an N.E.A. Regional Fellowship. Bernice also teaches editing at Emerson College and lives in Cambridge, MA.

Eric Stange, executive producer and founder of Spy Pond Productions in Arlington, is a writer, director, and producer of documentary television programs on history, science, and technology. His work has appeared on PBS, The Discovery Channel, National Geographic and the BBC. He specializes in both short and long format projects that combine rigorous research with innovative visualization techniques and imaginative storytelling. Eric has been a recipient of the Charles Warren Fellowship in American History from Harvard University. He is a member of the board of Common-Place, the leading academic website for studies in early American history, writes a column for American Heritage magazine on the history and new media, and is a visiting fellow with the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. Before becoming a filmmaker Stange was a print journalist and wrote primarily about art and culture for newspapers and journals including the Boston Herald, Boston Globe, New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, Chronicle of Higher Education and other national publications.

Marga Varea of Arlington, MA is the founder and lead impact producer at Twin Seas Media, an outreach and distribution agency for independent documentary films and film festivals. With 20 years of experience in the film and television industries, Marga has a deep understanding of the filmmaking process from concept to distribution and a deep love for non-fiction. Marga develops creative outreach, engagement and communications strategies that raise the visibility of independent documentary films.  She designs and implements multi-platform, thorough impact and distribution campaigns for non-fiction media that questions the status quo and illuminates some of the most important issues of our times.  

Yahia Zakaria is a Film/TV Producer and Project Manager with a Bachelor’s in Cinema Directing from the Art Academy in Egypt. Yahia has more than ten years’ experience as a filmmaker and has supervised production and post-production for feature films, documentaries, TV commercials, TV shows, short films, and video clips. His last job was Head of Production at Era Media (Digital Agency) in Kuwait. He established and supervised Era Media’s Cairo office where he is currently freelancing and looking for new challenges.

Judges for the High School Student submissions are:

Saoirse Loftus-Reid is a Sophomore at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. She’s originally a student at Lexington High School and was the winner of the AIFF Microsoft Special Award in 2018 for her short film The Art Collector. Her work has been showcased in a variety of film festivals including the All-American High School Film Festival in New York City, Kerry Film Festival in Ireland, Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival in Florida, and the San Diego International Kids Film Festival in California. She has won two regional awards for short-form fiction and long-form non-fiction and received three honorable mentions for her work with the non-profit organization Rubbish to Runway at the Student Production Awards in the National Academy for Television Arts and Sciences New England/Boston Chapter in her senior year of high school. As a freshman in college, she was nominated to the National Student Production Awards. She currently studies Business with Marketing, is an active member of the Edinburgh University Television Society as the Post Production Officer and was Director and 2nd Camera Operator at the Edinburgh University Filmmaking Society.

Shuyi Wang is a documentary filmmaker now living in Arlington. She is originally from Chengdu, China. Shuyi received her M.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Emerson College and is currently a producer/director of HuaPlus TV Boston, the largest overseas Chinese online video platform, headquartered in New York. Her latest work, “Awaken the Dragon Together”, a short-format documentary about Massachusetts first dragon boat team for cancer survivors, featured and screened as a finalist of HUA International Short Film festival at Los Angeles, London and Tokyo in 2017 and the Arlington Int’l Film Festival in 2018. Her previous work has appeared in NBC, New England Center for Investigative Reporting, edX, HKS Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard University, MIT Digital Learning and

CCTV-4

The AIFF Organizers are extremely proud to be working with such a professional team that is dedicated to our mission of offering a unique opportunity for cross-cultural education, promoting understanding of the many cultures represented in our town and beyond and recognizing that such diversity enriches our communities. We believe that this annual international film festival highlights core values and aspirations we share with our culturally diverse neighbors and with all members of the global human family.

[katiegaribaldi]

🎁 “Unhappy Holiday” has won BEST SONG from the Festigious International Film Festival! 🎄🎶😍 Many thanks to the Festigious team’s positive support and continued encouragement. 🙏🏼 I’m proud of this song and couldn’t be more grateful. This means a lot!! 🤗❤️🎵 .. .. See the full list of July winners at festigious.com/july-2018 .. .. .. #unhappyholiday #bestsong #festigious #christmasinjuly

[carolynbridgetkennedy]

Delighted to share that my micro short comedy film “Dope Mom” is now a Semi-Finalist and an Official Selection at @festigious International Film Festival. 💕 Thank you to my talented co-star and friend @emilyjane365. 🤗 #actor #actress #actorslife #actorlife #acting #writer #role #character #producer #losangeles #hollywood #filming #shortfilm #officialselection #filmfestival #womeninfilm #comedy #dopemom (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClFo42qrhyd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[antville]

Ari B - "Just Get Me" (Official Video) Directed by Wayne Isham

Ari B - "Just Get Me" (Official Video) Directed by Wayne Isham

March 20, 2018 5:53:08 PM CET March 20, 2018 5:53:08 PM CET

Rive Video

Winner: Best Music Video - Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival (January, 2018) Winner: Best Female Vocalist & Best Pop/R&B Song - Global Music Awards (February, 2018) Winner of "Best Song" - Festigious Film Festival, Los Angeles (January 2018) "Just Get Me" by Ari B Available at: iTunes: itunes.apple.com... Amazon: www.amazon.com Spotify: open.spotify.com... Music Video: Directed by Wayne Isham & Choreographed by Chuck Maldonado Executive Producer: Dana Pink Marshall Joey Thao: Stylist Song: written and produced by Ari B, music by TON Life Music, w/ mix by Justin Gerrish

a post (http://ift.tt/2DHOcKy) from antville: http://ift.tt/LlSWZe

[blackcatfilmprod]

Attack of the Cat People Trailer just has been Official Selected for Festigious Los Angeles this month. Go Team Black Cat Film Productions! Thanks Festigious for selected us, we’re so excited to be part of this incredible festival featuring some absolutely fantastic shows and films. The winners will be announced on November 6th, 2019.

[rivevideopromotion]

Ari B - Just Get Me (Official Video) Winner: Best Music Video - Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival (January, 2018) Winner: Best Female Vocalist & Best Pop/R&B Song - Global Music Awards (February, 2018) Winner of "Best Song" - Festigious Film Festival, Los Angeles (January 2018)

"Just Get Me" by Ari B

Available at: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/jus... Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0791MT147 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/6nBAwJ... Follow Ari B on: Website: www.AriBofficial.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arib2/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AriBofficial/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/aribofficial Music Video: Directed by Wayne Isham & Choreographed by Chuck Maldonado Executive Producer: Dana Pink Marshall 

[michael-marwitz-official]

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🔝💫 As The Wave Broke… 💫🔝Nominated as BEST INSPIRATIONAL FILM of the year at @top.shorts Filmfestival 💥 We say it loud: we are proud! After the film won 60 international awards meanwhile, our team and me as co-author and actor in the film feel honored by this decision from the judgement members of this festival. @alexandrabekiou @kate.gianna @micky_jukovic @lukherbi @danieldornhoefer @music_paradise_tonstudio @_felixtille_ @astrolautmusik @alexsnow1811 @public_vision @andre_jennrich @vegasmovieawards @top.shorts @beyondearthfilmfestival @njfilmawards @accordcinefest @artfilmawards @iffaindia @dmoffest @bridgefestiff @higafestival @aroundfilms @monthly.indie.shorts @24framesfilmfest @platonicfilmcompetition @mpfilmaward @imaginerainfilmawards @vegasmovieawards @sicilyindiefilmawards @cyrusintfilm @phoenixshortfestival @bridgefestiff @shortcinefest @continentalfilmawards @nawadafilmfestival @onirosfilmawards @lafilmawards @prague_film_festival @newyorkintfilmawards @newyorkmovieawards @nyfilmawards @top.shorts @silkroadfilmawards @festigious #actor #actorslife (hier: United States) https://www.instagram.com/p/CP_E48AIAbr/?utm_medium=tumblr

[martens-movie-reviews]

Released: August 2017 Running Time: 12 minutes 

“In a post apocalyptic world where the air is toxic to breathe and oxygen is a precious resource, a young boy embarks on a perilous supply run to obtain water and medicine for his ailing mother. With just his toy robot as a companion on his journey, he faces many obstacles, but the real danger is waiting for him back at home.”

I will be reviewing one short film a month, beginning with ‘The Survivor: A Tale From the Nearscape.’ The film has seen some success during its continued festival run, winning Best Sci Fi at the Festigious International Film Festival, and Best Sci – Fi at the Top Shorts Film Festival.

I’m always interested in watching movies, and with short films it is always interesting to see how the filmmakers compress the story in such a small amount of screen time.

Below is the full short film, which can be found on Vimeo and Youtube, its runtime is 11 minutes and 53 seconds. Check out my review for it below the link, followed by a Q&A with the film’s director Christopher Carson Emmons.

The Survivor Short Film – Saga Flight Entertainment

Cast & Crew

The director of The Survivor is Christopher Carson Emmons, who has worked on numerous other short films, as well as 3 full length films, and several series. Emmons also has an upcoming short film called ‘Roebling’s Bridge‘ that is mentioned in the interview with him below.

Written by Mark Renshaw who has previously written other shorts such as ‘No More Tomorrows’ in and ‘Surrender’, he’s also written a television series in called ‘So Dark’ that will be premiering soon.

Nick Kordysh as Billy – Source: Saga Flight Entertainment

The cast of The Survivor includes Nick Kordysh, Valerie Dewie Lighthart, Sam Kozé, Anna Kordysh, Alida LaCosse, Tawnie Thompson, Carl Chopp, Zach McLain, Martin Doordan, Rodney Craig Dukes and Matthew Nichols.

Review

I found that the music in the film which was done by Zaalen Tallis, was futuristic yet familiar. I really enjoyed the ambience and hectic feel that it brought to the film. It enhanced the movie, just as music is supposed to do. I did find that the music was a little loud in some points of the short, however that could just be my preference and my inexperience with short films and their style. The acting in this short was well done, especially the young Kordysh, who portrayed the main character, Billy. The other actors while doing a good job with what what they were given, had too little screen time to get to know them as well as you might like.

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The quality in the story for The Survivor was really thought provoking and made you fear this dystopian future. We don’t have to worry about aliens or vampires or zombies in this movie, but each other. The humans in this film are what’s horrifying about this future, where people are capable of killing another human to use as food. At another point the cops are about to shoot Billy because they don’t want to have to deal with the paperwork that would be involved if they brought him in.

Roy killed Billy’s father because he wanted his mother, that is something that is reprehensible, and it makes you wonder in what kind of society would that be acceptable. It’s also telling of Roy’s character that he doesn’t acknowledge Winny anymore since she’s been sick, even going as far as turning his back to her and focusing on the television instead of trying to take care of her and lessen her suffering.

Another point that I might be misreading is at the beginning of the film, Roy is zipping up his pants after coming into the room with Billy, whatever that is supposed to imply is potentially even worse than killing the father to be with the mother.

I enjoyed the way in which Billy killed Roy with the rat poison that he had grabbed at the shop, when I first watched it, I thought it was just a comedic effect in the film to have a bodyguard be afraid of mice, but when the flashback happened, everything clicked together, and I appreciated that they didn’t show that part the first time around.

Matthew Nichols as Preacher – Source: Saga Flight Entertainment

I believe that this short has potential as full length film one day, as it sets up the world really well, and makes you want to know more. Who was that woman that saved Billy from the other cops? What organization is she with? What happens to Billy and his mother after the death of his step father? What disaster lead to the drastic change in society? These are all questions that I would like to see addressed if ever it would be turned into a full length film, which I hope it does.

Officer – Source: Saga Flight Entertainment

Overall, I feel like this film definitely deserved those awards that it has won, and I’d love to have this film adapted as a full length motion picture. I think that the story was simple, yet displayed a world that had been shown in many works of science fiction beforehand. The acting in the film was good, especially Kordysh, as from what I understand this was his first acting role.

The music in the short was really well done, as well as the cinematography which was done by Nate Haban. I loved the futuristic feel of the film, and every single part of the film was relevant to the overall story and world building. Based on other shorts that I’ve seen, I have to say that it told the story that it wanted in the limited amount of time, had great music, the visual aspects of the film were beautiful, and had a good message / warning for the audience to take from the film. I’m giving this short film, a final score of 8/10.

What did you think of the short film? Did you enjoy it? What are your opinions on the genre? Let me know in the comments below!

What movie do you want me to review next?

Thanks for reading,

Alex Martens

Q&A with Director Christopher Carson Emmons

What inspired the style and tone of Survivor? What nobody ever tells you about the phrase “ignorance is bliss” is that it has an expiration date. Ignore any problem long enough, it’ll make itself known to you in a way you can’t ignore. So this is a look at the world we’re hard at work on leaving for our grandchildren.

The theme I tried to zero in on during every decision made from pre-production through post-production was abuse of power. I tried to touch on many abuses of power within the context of the film’s short runtime, chiefly the continued burning of fossil fuels due to special interests we know still drive legislation, and if you watch closely there are three manmade earthquakes as a result of fracking in the film. The film also delves briefly into police brutality, child abuse, mass surveillance, and religious fanaticism. I tried to address these issues while still providing what was hopefully an entertaining narrative.

  Are there any other projects that you are working on that you can talk about? Yes, I have a project called “Roebling’s Bridge” coming out that I’m very excited about. It’s about the family that created the Brooklyn Bridge. And then there’s that mountain of yet to be produced screenplays I’ve written

  I know that Mark Renshaw was the writer for the film, but I’m curious about whose decision it was to not have Billy speak until the the very end? Mark Renshaw, the writer, made the decision to keep the lead character, Billy, mute until the very end of the film, which I absolutely loved. I’m the first to admit some of my earlier work was very talky, as if it would be the last time I could ever have a character speak to an audience so I desperately needed to seize it. Film is a visual medium, so what better way to receive information than through a protagonist who does not speak and we just see what they see? If you look at children who are living through wars or famines, they rarely emote or speak, and their eyes look like those of an elderly person, spare a few wrinkles. Our lead actor, Nick Kordysh, did such wonderful and subtle work in really capturing that.

What message or feeling do you want people to experience after watching the short film? If you listen to the words that the mother sings in the opening of the film, that really sets the stage for what it is about. She sings “The Black Snake comes, comes for the water, for our sons and daughters, the sun sets on the world.” She’s referencing the Lakota prophecy about the Black Snake, which in recent history was linked to the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Also if you listen carefully to the words in the video with the sunrise graphic that takes over the TV set twice in the film, which are “the sky is ablaze from the evils of men, survival’s for naught if not do we rise, to oppose those who oppress the very hope of sunrise,” you get a sense of what’s at stake. This is the chant from a resistance group in this world that is trying to change things around before it is too late. One of the members of this group is shown in the film, she poses as a cop and blows her cover to save the lead character’s life. This group’s chant points to something I think is important, the idea of survival for survival’s sake, vs. survival for a purpose. Consider the idea of a massive power outage in a large city. Do you want to live in a world where the power going out takes away the distractions we think give us meaning and purpose and we all go crazy, or do we want to live in a world where the power goes out and that has no effect on us because the human race shares a common united goal that is clear and Earthbound?

I’d love for us to get off the track we’re on so that this film isn’t anything like our future. When the candidates put forward by any given country’s left and right are both basically Scrooge McDuck with different catch phrases, you’ve punctured the condom on the phallus of inequality and hatred. Issues that literally threaten our species’ existence need to be dealt with immediately in a non partisan way. Or we can keep fracturing into smaller and smaller tribal sub groups as we are now and choose to finally consider the bleak options that remain later, as our major cities are underwater, and the remaining land above ground faces constant quakes and fires. Maybe as the ship sinks, we’ll watch the water rising to our throats, then look one another in the eye, and realize how beautiful we were.

The Survivor Review Released: August 2017 Running Time: 12 minutes  "In a post apocalyptic world where the air is toxic to breathe and oxygen is a precious resource, a young boy embarks on a perilous supply run to obtain water and medicine for his ailing mother.